Golf apparatus



Jan. 31, 1928.

E. L. BARNETT GOLF APPARATUS Filed May 20, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Wl-TNE SES BY 2 E ATTORNEY Jan. 31,1928.

E. L. BARNETT GOLF APPARATUS Filed May 20, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Edward L.Bar1zeii.

BY ////////////A ATTORNEY v Patented Jan. 31, 1928.

UNITED STATES EDWARD BARNETT, or ivnw YORK, N. Y

GOLF APPARATUS.

Application filed May 20, 1927. Serial No. 192,940.

This invention relates to an improved golf apparatus, and has for an object to provide an improved construction for indoor use, whereby the usual strokes on a full course may be practiced and the ball given the usual impulse.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved golf apparatus which is an improvement over my Patent No. 1,574,596.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus that will so slow down and control a golf ball hit by a golf club in the regulation manner, no matter with what force, that the game-0r practice strokes may be played indoors or on a limited space and true values as regards distance, direction, pull and slice can be estimated correctly, so that the values given on the limited playing field will be approximately the same as if the ball were played on a regulation size golf course.

A further object of the invention is to provide an indoor golf course or game which may be made in miniature and played with light balls and with the fingers instead of clubs.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure'l is a top plan view of an indoor golf apparatus disclosing an embodiment of the invention, the protecting screens being shown in section.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view through Figure 1 on line 22.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional View through Figure 1 on line 33.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a modified form of the invention, showing a golf course in miniature capable of using ping pong balls or'other small balls designed to be projected by the fingers.

Fi ure- 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sec tionzfi view through Figure 4 on line In indoor olf courses or golf apparatus, it has been difficult heretofore to simulate or approximate actual conditions of aregular course until the structure shown in myprior patent was devised. In the present invention, improvementshave been added to the apparatus disclosed in my prior patent in order that a better or truer value may be secured in regard to all of the strokes, and particularly in regard to the strokes known as"pulls and slices. In this way, a player may drive the ball as hard was easy as he wishes with a full size club and full size ball. After having made a stroke, the ball will strike the back wall or abutment, and by reason of the curved nature thereof, Wlll cause the ball to bounce back and give a true value to the stroke, both in regard to distance and direction.

Referring to the'accompanying drawings by numerals, 1 indicates suitable sides and end, which may consist of a board five or six inches high. This board may be secured to the floor of an ordinary room in any desired manner, and also secured to the main platform structure 2. Within the boards or side walls 1, is arranged a bed 11 of sand as hereinafter fully described, said bed being of any desired thickness, as for instance, four or five inches thick. The device may be of any desired length, as for instance, twenty-four feet long, and the the platform structure 2 is preferably provided with what may be termed standin platforms 3 and 4, which may be of ordinary carpet, rugs or other material. Arranged between the standing platforms 3 and 4, is a rug or other support 5 adapted to receive a tee 6. if desired. On the tee 6 the ball 7 is placed, which is an ordinary full size golf ball. After being placed on the tee, the ball may be struck by a full size club and driven with any desired force within the limits of the ability of the player. The ball is designed to strike against the abutment or 'wall 8,. which is substantially"dome-shaped at the rear so that practically all polnts where the ball strikes will be curved in two direction-s, namely, horizontally and verti- 12 and rebound again in a direction towar abutment 8. I

As indicated in Figure 2, if a low substantially horizontal drive is made, the ball will strike at approximately point 10 and will rebound or bounce until it hits the sand bed 11 at, approximately ,thepoint 10'.

After hitting this point, it will roll toward abutment 12 a certain distance. If a. high ball is driven in a straight line over the center of the blocks 9, similar to the drive just mentioned, it may strike the point 31 and bounce back to approximately the point 31. From point 31 it will roll toward the abutment 12 and stop at the same place where the former ball stopped, provided both balls were driven with the same power. It will be noted that the balls in the two drives will strike the bed 11 at different angles, whereby the relative distance from the tee will be compensated. After the ball strikes the sand bed at point it will roll farther on the sand bed than a ball given the same momentum will roll when striking the sand bed at point 31, but b reason of the fact that point 31 is in at vance of point 10, both balls will stop at the same point. In this we the same drive, whether high or low, will make the same credit. It will be evident that different rules may be used with the game, but usually the rules are such that the greatest value will be given it the ball lands in some of the center blocks or sections 9. For instance, if the ball strikes the wall or abutment 8, rebounds to a point on bed 11, rolls along this bed, strikes the abutment 12 and rebounds a second time toward the approach block 13 until it reaches the block 9', the value of the stroke will be two hundred ards. If the ball should move over to the b ock or section 14, ten yards is subtracted so that a credit of one hundred and ninety yards will have been secured. The blocks 9, 14 and also the remaining blocks, are formed by the respective strings 15 and 16 resting on the sand bed 11 and secured in any way to the sides 1. At a convenient point along the sides, the various numbers 17 are arranged for indicating the value of the stroke where the ball rebounds from the abutment 12. On the opposite side of the course are arranged the numbers 18 which give the value of the balls striking the wall 8 and rebounding toward abutment 12 but not reaching said abutment. As each of the blocks formed by the cords or strings 15 and 16 equal a distance of three yards, a person can readily ascertain the value of the drive.

In playing the game, if the first stroke only makes a credit, of say one hundred and fort and the first hole is two hundred yar s from the tee, a second stroke will be necessary to make up the diiference, namely, the sixt yards. Different rules may be provide to vary the values without departing from the spirit of the invention, but the apparatus will function in the same manner, regardless of the particular rules used. When a ball strikes the wall or abutment 8, it will always rebound at an angle in proportion to the angle at which it strikes the wall 8, so that when the ball is off the center line, a substantially true value of the slice or pull will be given, whereby the player will know exactly how much deviation from a perfect stroke has been made. When making a second or third stroke nee essary to make up the sixty yards mentioned, the block 13 is used as an approach block and thevarious blocks 9, let and the like, maybe given different values, as for instance, the value of one yard or some other distance, whereby each stroke after the first stroke will add distance to the first stroke and thereby permit the player to approach the first hole.

Usually in practicing with the apparatus, the balls will pass within the confines of the abutment S, but if for any reason they should not, the screens 19 and 20 hung from the ceiling or any suitable support, will prevent the balls from leaving the bed ll. Under some circumstances, it is desirable to use the apparatus as a parlor game for the purpose of amusement, rather than exercise or practicing strokes. When this is the case, the structure shown in Figures l and 5 is used. In this form of the invention. the structure is almostidentical with the other form, but preferably the structure is made much smaller, as for instance, with a bottom or base 1' of wood three or four feet long and of any desired width. As shown in Figure 4, the bed 21 is identical with the bed 11 and the wall 22 is identical with wall 8 except for size. However, instead of having a platform 2 with the members 3 and 1t and the supporting tee as shown in Figure 1, a pair of wires 23 is provided and preferably connected to the uprights 21 and 25. This will support the ball 26 which is a very light ball, as for instance, an ordinary ping pong ball. WVhen the ball i in the position shown in Figure 4, it is flipped with one of the fingers and caused to strike the wall 22 from which it bounces back and onto the bed 21. The ball acts in a similar manner to the golf ball used in the structure shown in Figure 1, and the rules of the game and values of the strokes are preferably the same.

After one or more strokes have been made and the ball has reached a point within twenty yards of the approach block 27, it is removed and laced on the line 28 opposite any of the num ers 29, according to the distance it was from the approach block 27. For instance, if it was eighteen yards from block 27, it would be placed on line 28 opposite the numeral 18 on the line of num bers 29. The ball is then flipped with one of the fingers in order to force the same into the hole 27. Instead of placing the hall on line 28, it could be placed at some other point on the putting green 30 but must be placed at an equal distance from the hole 2?. The putting green 30 is preferably a bed of sand. similar to bed 21 and supported by the emar-a platform 31 which may be wood or other desired material. a

' In this form of the invention, the aparatus has been reduced to a game and the allis moved by the fingers, but preferably by a flipping action. In the preferred form of the invention shown in Fi res 1 to 3 inclusive, the apparatus is muc larger-and a full size ball and full size clubs are used so that the ball may be hit with as much power as desired with any of the usual clubs now a in common use.

What I claim is: v

1. In an indoor golf apparatus, a tee, a field divided into areas having; predetermined values, a wall at the rear of said field against which a golf ball is ada ted to be pro ected and from which the go f ball rebounds into one of the areas of said field to determine the value of the stroke by which the golf ball was projected, said wall being curved in two dierctions.

'2. In an indoor golf apparatus, a tee from which a golf ball is adapted to be rojected, a field into which "the olf b l is adapted to be projected, said field being divided into a plurality of individual areas,

each area having a predetermined value;

whereby the value of the stroke projecting the ballwill'be determined, and an abutment arranged adjacent one end of said field, said abutment being substantially dome-shaped whereby a ball striking the abutment will bounce back at the opposite angle at which a it strikes the abutment whereby the'deviation of the ball from a perfect shot may be ascertained. Y

3.- In an indoor golf apparatus, a tee, a field divided into areas having predetermined .values, a substantially :dome-shaped wall at the rear of said field against which a golf ball is adapted to be projected from said tee, said ball being adapted to rebound from said wall into one of the areasof the "ed into areas field, and a second .wall arran ed ad'acent 581d tee, 'sa-1d.ball being adapte to re und fromsald second wall after having first rebound from the first wall.'

4.'In' an indoor golf apparatus, a tee, a I

field divided into areas having predetermlned values, a substantially dome-shaped wall at the rear of said field against which a golf ball is adapted to be-projected and from which the golf. ball rebounds, and a flat straight wall arranged near said tee for recelvmg said ball after it rebounds and causing the same to rebound a scond'time I into .one of the areas of said field whereby the value ofthe stroke is ascertained.

5. In an indoor golf ap aratus, a tee, a field divided into areas a'ving redetermined values, a wall substanti shaped in cross section at' the rear of'said field against which a golf ballis 'ada ted to'be projected and from which the golf all rebounds, and a straight flat wall arran ed adjacent said tee for receiving said ball a r y arcit rebounds and for causingsaid ball. to re I bound a second time into oneof the areas of said'field to determine thevalue of the stroke by which the ball was projected.v

-6. In a olf game apparatus, a field in which a gol f ballis adapted to be projected, a wall at the rear end of said field against which the olf ball is ada ted to be roje'cted and rom which the pair of resilient wires acting as a tee for said all reboun s, a

ball, and a second rebound wall arranged 

